Wondering why you got rejected? These are the icks that might surprise you.
A poll of 2,000 actively dating adults shed some seriously interesting (and entertaining) light on the things that send people running for the door mid-date. From smelling bad to explaining a joke nobody found funny, the ick is alive and well — and apparently responsible for a lot of ghosting.
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What Is an Ick?
An ick is a sudden shift where attraction flips into repulsion, triggered by something a date or partner does. Sometimes completely valid. Often completely irrational. Always fascinating.
While the ick has become a Gen Z cultural staple — particularly on TikTok — it's not a new concept. The word first appeared in American Newsweek in 1979, and was used interchangeably with "yuck factor" through the 80s.
By 1995, Friends was dedicating whole episodes to it. Sex and the City followed in 2004. Love Island made it mainstream in 2020. And in 2024, "ick" was officially added to the Cambridge Dictionary: "a sudden feeling that you dislike someone or something, or are no longer attracted to someone because of something they do." It's official — the ick isn't going anywhere.
What's the Difference Between an Ick and The Ick?
A small distinction worth knowing: individual icks can be fleeting and survivable in a relationship. The Ick — capital T, capital I — is usually the kind that's too big to come back from. It's the difference between "they eat soup weirdly" and "they gestured for a waiter to come over by clicking their fingers."
What Does the Research Say?
A study commissioned by dating site Seeking and conducted by OnePoll asked 2,000 people about their biggest icks. The findings:
65% have ended a relationship because of an ick
88% have ghosted someone completely because of one
The number one ick? Simply smelling bad (24% of respondents)
Pretending to be a know-it-all and being rude to waitstaff tied second (21% each)
16% of women said a date wearing a tacky watch would give them the ick
15% said referring to a sports team as "we" was an instant turn-off
15% caught the ick from someone being obsessed with star signs
The Icks You Told Us About
We asked our community to share their biggest icks. People are, if nothing else, absolutely honest.
Using the word "babe"
Not being a feminist
Eating with their mouth open
Not cleaning up after themselves
Saying "I'm not like other boys"
Being rude to restaurant staff
Not communicating properly
Expecting sex after a date
Agreeing with Andrew Tate
Bad teeth
Making the gym their entire personality
Being overly formal over text — full stops, capital letters, the works
Wearing tracksuits
Thinking something is funnier than it is
Explaining a joke no one found funny
Talking in a baby voice
Bad hygiene
Making cringey TikToks
Taking too many selfies
Noisy eating
Not asking if you got home safe
Leaving your phone on the table during a date
And some one-word answers that really said it all: Men. Dating. Everything.
Common Icks for Guys
Things that apparently give men the ick — some more understandable than others:
Too much interest in astrology
Talking in a baby voice
Talking too much about an ex
Taking too many selfies
Not offering to split the bill
Fake laughing
Very long nails
Bad hygiene
Being on the phone too much
Common Icks for Girls
Things that give women the ick from men — a fairly universal list:
Not paying on the first date
Mansplaining
Too much interest in cryptocurrency
Body odour
Acting "alpha"
Gym mirror selfies
Wearing socks to bed
Being rude to waitstaff
Arrogance
Being overly touchy on a first date
The Funniest Icks We've Come Across
Wearing water shoes. Chasing a ping pong ball. The way boys' swimming trunks inflate when they jump into a pool. Running with a backpack on. An umbrella turning inside out. The cape you have to wear when getting a haircut.
Nothing is sacred, and we love it.
When Is an Ick Actually a Red Flag?
Sometimes an ick is just an ick — irrational, fleeting, and not worth acting on. But some patterns are worth paying attention to: a partner who never introduces you to their friends, talks badly about every ex, or lovebombs you are signs worth taking seriously.
Icks also crop up more frequently in strained relationships — if you're unhappy, you'll notice everything. An ick doesn't automatically mean the end, but it's worth asking yourself whether it's the behaviour or the relationship that's the real issue.
If you're just getting to know someone, it's also worth brushing up on how to stay safe on a first date and how to set healthy boundaries early on — both make it a lot easier to tell the difference between an ick and an actual problem.
Why Do Some People Get the Ick Constantly?
For new couples, icks often surface once novelty fades — this is completely normal. But if you're catching the ick with everyone, it might be worth reflecting on why.
Two patterns come up often:
Fear of engulfment — a fear of losing your identity in a relationship, which can lead to self-sabotage just as things get serious.
Fear of intimacy — when vulnerability feels unsafe, even positive milestones (moving in, getting engaged) can trigger a defensive response. Both can be worked through, often with professional support.
Icks are human, irrational, and genuinely fascinating. Catch you on the next one.
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